Posted
by
timothy
on Tuesday September 04, 2012 @11:21AM
from the getting-a-handle-on-things dept.

mpol writes "The job market can be hard right now, depending on your background and location. Having a disability makes things even more interesting. Seven years ago I suffered from a psychosis, and I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have been recovering quite well, and last year I started searching for a paying job. I found one, but it didn't turn out to be the right place, so I'm back at my volunteer job as web developer. My current workplace is quite unique, as there are several people who have had a psychosis in the past, or have been diagnosed with autism. When I look at myself I know that I have some things that will always play a role: I'm very sensitive to the atmosphere in the workplace for example. I also need clear communication, more so than other people. Furthermore, a workweek of maybe 20-25 hours is the max for me. I tried self-employment, but motivation and discipline are a bit hard to come by, and it's not something that will work for me long-term. In theory it's perfect, in practice not so much. I'm not sure what my short-term future will look like, and for this year I'm quite happy where I am, but next year I might go searching for a salaried job again. I'm wondering if there are more people on Slashdot who have a job in ICT, or are seeking one, and also have disabilities. How did you land at your job, and what issues do you run into in daily practice?"

So your story of a workplace with "several people who have had a psychosis in the past" while yourself being a schizophrenic made me laugh when I imagined you working alone at home as I do while being surrounded by other "people" with mental problems.

My last job included an employee with well controlled schizophrenia and another with moderate autism. The employer did all the right things as far as I'm aware, shorter hours and short-notice time off were available, and all of the management were made aware of the issues. There were plenty of staff meaning that unsuitable or particularly stressful jobs (eg dealing with large crowds at busy periods) could be avoided and the members of staff in question would pick up on the jobs more suited to them instead.

By far the most useful thing, however, were the pub trips after work. Both employees were quite happy to talk openly about their respective conditions, which took it from being a confidential, management-only issue to being an open one where people were encouraged to ask questions and understand how they could help the employees adapt. The chats over a beer/coffee were far more useful than any management policy could have been.

Just because you are at a PUB doesnt mean you are forced to get drunk. Get a Ginger Ale on the rocks and have a good time instead of ruining it for everyone else that does want to have a beer or something.

That's kind of the point - if they don't know then the days off, unusual behaviour etc will simply mark you out as an awkward colleague, but if they know the reason behind you "not being normal" then they'll have a much better understanding of what's going on. Granted, some people will react with fear, suspicion or derision, but I think you'd probably be surprised at how few. The worst reaction I saw to my colleagues "coming out" was awkward embarrassment.

This. I agree with this. It's awkward, perhaps, to get past the reveal, but I expect there will be a good collection of folks who will not react poorly. There are a bunch of jerks in the world, but often they are just noisier than the equally large crowd of decent folk.

A fair call on all points, I won't say you're wrong with any of the above.

If I'm going to argue then I'd say screw the boss who's not able to deal with it, this is the point to bring in the no-win-no-fee lawyers and kick his/her backside. I'd say who cares that it's a mental disorder which still attracts more stigma than a physical one, and I'd repeat what I said above about (in my experience) an open and curious workplace being better than awkwardness.

Sitting in an office for 8 hours a day is not a big deal? I have whole weeks where I go without talking to a single person (except email updates). Even during meetings I often just sit there without talking.

And when I get bored (or stressed) I stop the work and just zone out or listen to music until I feel better. Maybe you should try to find a job like mine (designer/programmer).

Which is why I bring-in a USB drive filled with music, college lectures, and movies. Or listen to newsradio or RT.com. It makes the boredom of the office less-bearable.And the guy below is correct:I tried to find a parttime engineering job and it didn't exist. So I just take the fulltime job, with 6 hours of actual productivity, and 2 hours zoning-out when the stress becomes too much (like now).

I think the part time hours are the biggest stumbling block. Most of IT expects a 40 hour work week, part time is difficult to find. You can see if you can find a place that allows flex play were you can make up some time during the weekend.

The 40 hours per week isn't always the biggest problem. It's the random out of hours work that some sectors of the industry requires. For many people with physical disabilities and mental disabilities, they need to manage energy reserves, sleep cycles and predictability to manage stress. Being on call is about the worst thing you can do to people in that situation.

Honestly, it seems like you're going to have to settle for what you have now, change your expectations a bit, or get motivated to work on your own. Everything you wrote will scream "Undependable and Hard to Work With!" to an employer. We hire people who are disabled at my job, and make accomodations. But typically, the accomodations are more in line with giving them what they need (a first floor work space near conference rooms, specialized equ

Ah, yes. I should have elaborated in the startpost, but it was too long already.At my workplace I'm really motivated, and do a lot of work. It's not a problem there.It's only a problem working from home, because of many different factors.

If you have a disability, you're at a disadvantage to the thousands of other job seekers out there. You have to make up for it in other areas, but if you lack motivation, then forget it. Without ambition and motivation, you're just another slug feeding off others.

With schizophrenia, the lack of motivation is the disability. You can control the positive symptoms(hallucinations) with medication, but we have no treatment for the deficits in executive function caused by schizophrenia. Shrugging your shoulders and saying "try harder you slug" should not be acceptable in a modern society.

The problem is we live in a competitive world. We have limited resources, the best of the best get picked up first, then Above average, then the below average and well below average get the short end of the stick.

If live gives you something that gives you a disadvantage, you will need to find a way to work around it, it will probably cost you. You may be the worlds best programmer but if you can't output as much as the second best programmer, you are at a disadvantage, and you may just need to work as an a

Why should someone who has a lack of motivation disability get a job over a person who doesn't have that disability?

Asserting that we should sacrifice the able-minded because of sympathy for those who suffer from motivation disability should not be acceptable in a modern society. One might as well insist that the U.S. Olympic sprinting team include a 500 pound diabetic, and kick off someone who can actually run.

To be quite honest, it's going to be a tough road ahead for you. Companies usually are not very accommodating of the types of requirements you have laid out. I would suggest looking for work with your municipal or state government. They are more open to special needs employees. That's going to be you best bet.

Something that did strike me as interesting is the requirement for a workweek of maybe 20-25 hours. Is this due to your mental disability or do you have other obligations in your life that would limit

No, he has the wrong sort of mental condition. You were thinking psychopath or sociopath. Both of those have no trouble at all with motivation or hard work... for their own goals. In fact, they tend to be very adept at getting themselves ahead, at least until someone gets wise to them anyway.

The poster is having trouble with motivation, which is one way to ensure that you don't make it as a politician.

Something that did strike me as interesting is the requirement for a workweek of maybe 20-25 hours. Is this due to your mental disability or do you have other obligations in your life that would limit your ability to work? I would try to rectify that issue if possible, because even government jobs require that you work 37.5 hours a week. (Around here at least)

That's for full-time employment. If you can only do 20-25 hours, don't look for a full time job because they'd want 35+ hours/week. Instead, look for

A requirement for 20-25 hours a week is because I really need to have my restdays. I can work a week for 5 days, and maybe 2 weeks. But it does wear me out. I get tired, can't get out of bed anymore, and I'm just generally unhappy. And that's just not the right path to take.Right now I work 2 days, have a day off, and then work another day. There are jobs available that suit this rythm, but ofcourse not very much of them. I live in Europe, and the lifestyle is somewhat better. And I should take care not to

I'd suggest being an independent contractor for a company that performs IT work. You already mentioned that you are a web developer, if you have any other skills like systems administration or engineering then use those skills as well. Companies do not mind a independent contractor because frankly, they only have to pay you when there is work and there are no associated benefits (sorry).

Being an independent contractor will give you the ability to work at your own pace. If you need a break, just don't tak

> but motivation and discipline are a bit hard to come byWhile that may be true, success like anything else is learned. It starts the first thing you wake up, and ends when you go to sleep. In order to get good at it you have to keep practicing. They say a person becomes proficient at a skill when they have done it for at 1,000 hours. In order to have discipline you must reprogram your mind. With time + effort you can achieve it.

WRT motivation no one can give you motivation. The trouble with companies that often times they should of focus on NOT DEMOTIVATING people. Being self-employed you need to find your own motivation. i.e. There has to be at least _one_ thing you enjoy doing, what is it? You say you are a web developer. Do any programming languages interest you? Any kind of computer science problems? The reason I ask is because:

There are 2 hard things in life- finding your passion- finding how to make money at it

Take care of the first one, and the second one will follow.

You say you require clear communication. That's true in all relationships. Your relationship with your computer (i.e the compiler / interpretor requires clear syntax), relationships with your co-workers (miscommunication is the cause of many problems), relationships with friends and family. The point of all this is that there are courses you can take to help with this. Dale Carnegie is a popular one. Shelf-Help books are another.

One of the secrets to happiness is to remove false expectations. You have to match you ideal world with the reality of your situation. Let's play a game for a moment. I have a magic wand; with it you can do anything you want. What would it be? Forget about all the impracticalities for a moment. If you could do anything in the world what would it be? The secret recipe is to now make a game plan on how you could achieve that big goal, but one small sub-goal at a time.

Thank you for your kind and insightfull response.Maybe I am too quick at judging that self-employment is not my thing. I don't think I had too high expectations. Some of my goals were to have this year a turn-around of 3000 Euro's, which I might make. And also to have fun at what I do. But during the first 8 months of this year I started to slowly have less fun. And that's not right. So I need that to turn around first, and then consider picking up my company again.

I think it is a fine goal to have fun at what you do, but maintaining a serious business is not always going to be fun. You may, instead, want to consider what categories of work are considered obligatory and what is actually useless BS. You should definitely avoid useless BS, but there is no way around the obligatory stuff.

For instance, paying your taxes is a pain in the ass sometimes. I don't mean paying them, but doing the paperwork. You have to do it, and you won't have a business unless you can, pe

Your diagnosis fits under the requirements of the ADA (if you are looking for a job in the US). Any employer (of sufficient size) must make reasonable accommodations and cannot discriminate against you in the hiring process or during employment if they are aware of your disability. That is not to say that discrimination does not occur. In order for you to be protected by the ADA, the employer must be aware of the disability which will then allow them to discriminate if they are assholes. Considering the lev

I'm glad things worked out for you. My husband was misdiagnosed as epileptic for nearly a decade before his apnea was correctly diagnosed. According to his specialist he rates about a 3.5 on the 1-3 scale for severity. He has acquired amnesia covering several years from where his condition meant he couldn't form long term memories and often couldn't distinguish between short and long term memories and was hallucinating frequently.

I do most of the driving even though he never lost his license just to be sure

When I was just starting out, I originally found work in my field because I showed an aptitude to learn and to help, and was constantly searching for more to learn, but I was unemployed student. I spoke with my professor and expressed my difficulty in looking for a job that suited me. Now granted, it was sheer luck for me, my professor came back to me a week later stating that he knew of a place I could / should apply to. He wrote a letter of recommendation and I submitted my resume / application. It took a month before I was offered an interview, but it happened. It started out as part-time work, and once I proved my eagerness to exceed, and I showed that I was responsible and truly cared about my work ethic, it was a word-of-mouth lead that landed me some additional work to get full-time.

I didn't have a disability other than needing glasses, but I had to prove myself, that I was more than just some college kid. I think that is what you're in need of, is a little help from friends and a lot of proving yourself. Performing volunteer work is a good start, and I think you're on the right track. If you are a solid member in your community you might look to community associations to try to garner some work, or through your local congregation if you attend church. A good Samaritan is a great place to start, but remember, you have to prove that that Samaritan is right about you and show that you're worthy of that praise. Once you've established yourself again then you'll probably see a lot more open doors of opportunity.

I burned myself after working like hell for 15 years. After my first breakdown, I decided to move to country where it cost me much less money to live, and access to nature really help. I took some online classes and now im looking for venture capital to fund my patent and startup. I hope I can be successful enough to not HAVE to work unless I feel like it...

You say you don't want to be self employed, but from what you say that's simply because of "motivation and discipline". That can usually be helped by having people to work with. You seem to already be working with people who you get along with, so perhaps your solution isn't going self employment alone but starting a business with others.

So work at home X percent of the time? Do you mean physical airborne atmosphere or emotional level?

Furthermore, a workweek of maybe 20-25 hours is the max for me.

For most of my "full time" coworkers that would be a heroic non-crunch time achievement. Do you mean 20 hours of "being in the building" with the usual ratio of 50% watercooler conversations about sports and TV / smoke breaks and 20% formal/informal meetings leaving about 6 hours of actual nose the the grindstone work, or 20 hours of actual nose to the grindstone work which would be pretty fabulous if anyone

If your employer lets you spend half you time chatting around the water cooler and schedule you for a full day of meetings a week, start looking for another job cause the business cannot make a profit in any legitimate way.

I'm somewhat sensitive to emotional atmosphere. People haveing an argument at the workplace which turns sour, that sort of thing. I can handle something, but too much wears me out.

Ah, haha. I'm not a slacker, I do my job. Last year I started at a paying job, which I decided to not continue with. The employer offered me the same job again half a year later. He was really happy with me.

Thank you for the rest, some others already pointed that out. I'm now with nice people at a volunteer setting. Setting up a c

Furthermore, a workweek of maybe 20-25 hours is the max for me. I tried self-employment, but motivation and discipline are a bit hard to come by, and it's not something that will work for me long-term. In theory it's perfect, in practice not so much.

I don't want to be self-employed either, but it's because I'm not a good salesman, not a good negotiator, hate the administrative parts of contracts and schedules and billing and I don't want my entire paycheck to depend on finding work. If you don't have the motivation and discipline for the work itself you're not going to be much of an employee either, on top of your other issues. If you want to find a job I wouldn't let that shine through, because I saw big red blinking "do not hire" signs that had nothing to do with your schizophrenia.

Why hire you when there are probably hundreds of alternative applicants without your baggage? Either you have some crazy unique skill to bring to the table, or they have a financial incentive to hire you (pay less money than someone "normal", or maybe there's some weird tax writeoff).

I don't mean this as an insult or anything, just as a shot of reality. You say you are happy doing volunteer work right now, which sort of implies that you are able to pay bills and stuff. If that's the case, stick with it. You can do that and some self-employment on the side as your motivation allows. You aren't going to find that kind of happiness with a salary job.

While I know the problem is a serious one and its fully classified as a disability, it almost sounds as if you're using it as a crutch in the summary. What I'm trying to say is that no situation is ever going to be perfect, and everyone has some nag or another that wears on them whether it be a disability, family problems, or in my case severe OCD to the point of trichotillomania. I think that finding a manager who is understanding and willing to work with you is the best thing you're going to be able to do. If you demand they heed your every desire and consider everything else unacceptable, you aren't going to ever land a job in a positive work environment. This is something you're going to have to meet others in the middle on and try to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Its all relative and everyone has to do this, whether its visible to the observer or not.

In short: try to not wait for the ideal scenario, meet people halfway. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be open about your issues, it just means you shouldn't lean on the issue as an "out" when a less-than-perfect scenario shows up. Give it a shot, you may surprise yourself.

While we would all like to think most educated people would know better the fact is that it just isn't true. Educated people will not care. All they will care about is how the individuals presence in the workplace will make others feel. All it would take is for this person to be hired a coworker looking for a reason to find out about the psychosis and then sue the company citing them creating an unsafe workplace. While the fact may well be that OP may not be a threat to others or to self as there are many d

I work in IT, and am profoundly Deaf. Working with a disability is definitely a challenge. You have to set expectations and remind people constantly--I work in a company of only 35 people and I have to remind people I can't hear for shit. You have to advocate for yourself, and let people know what YOU need to be successful in the job. That being said, all of these things are difficult to do.

Before I got my cochlear implant, the work-place was rough: simple things that everyone else took for granted, like fundamental communication, was nearly impossible for me. An innocent question about how you're doing could be a major hassle, ending up in embarrassment for me.

True story: at a "division" meeting - I don't recall what level of the organization it was, but it was high up there and there were lots of people in attendance - I'd sat through what seemed like forever, not having a freakin' clue a

Agreed, but the post isn't about people with mental problems, it's about people with disabilities in the workplace. And as my boss, you most certainly DO have to worry about my environment as a Deafie. You have to make sure that I don't have too many meetings, because it takes INTENSE mental focus to stay up to speed in crowds when I have to 1) figure out who's speaking, 2) focus on them and try to read their lips and foreign accents, 3) provide meaningful feedback.

How is accommodating someone with a mental disability any different that dealing with someone with a physical disability?

If you have someone at work who is in a wheel chair, you would need to ensure there is access for them, everything they need to do their job can be reached from the chair, that in the event of an evacuation their location is rapidly determined and they are evacuated along with everyone else even though they can't take the stairs.

If a person is deaf you have to adapt meeting practices, phones, etc..., if a person is blind they may need screen readers or braille output devices. If a person is recovering from an injury they may be on reduced hours and reduced duties.

If you, as an employer, have decided that this person will add benefit to your company sufficient for them to be on the payroll (or volunteers list), then you have a responsibility to make it a safe workplace for them.

My husband has a medical condition which can result in him having fits and seizures. It can be triggered by stress and heat among other conditions. His work has ensured that the first aid officers on his floor know how to manage someone having a seizure. They have provided a standing fan near his desk so he can control the air flow if it's a warm day and he needs more breeze than the aircon is providing as a base. His coworkers have my number in their phones and visa-versa so that we can communicate if he has an episode. My boss is aware that I keep a chat window open to him during the day to monitor him (especially on bad days) so that I can call his boss if I notice him starting to have symptoms (aphasia is often a warning sign).

His boss has found him to be an excellent employee who occasionally has bad days. The good days outweigh the bad days. Lots of places wouldn't consider him knowing he is subject to seizures.

I get incredibly angry listening to policy wonks talking about getting the disabled back to work and off benefits. That's all well and good, but how do you get employers to take a chance on someone with a medical condition which may unpredictably affect their capacity to work. It's incredibly tempting to lie about it in the recruitment process, but it's likely to come up before your trial period is over - and then your boss has to assess that if you lied about that, what else may you be deceiving him about.

Most people with some kind of mental disability have triggers. Your responsibility as a boss is to provide them with a 'safe' environment where you minimise their exposure to trigger situations - for example, don't put them in a customer facing role, keep them dealing with internal staff who are familiar with some degree of routine. If you take on someone with a chronic medical condition (mental or physical) then you sign on for the possibility that they may have medical absences on potentially short notice.

But guess what. You sign on for the same thing with parents who may have to take time off to look after sick kids. Or people with partners or older parents or siblings who may have to take carers leave to look after other members of their family. Or singles who may have accidents, injuries or just a cold or flu at various times of the year.

You're already a webdev...be your own boss and don't mess with anyone else.

I think the OP mentioned that:

I tried self-employment, but motivation and discipline are a bit hard to come by, and it's not something that will work for me long-term. In theory it's perfect, in practice not so much.

That's going to be a problem when he seeks a salaried job -- few employers want an unmotivated, undisciplined employee. If I wanted to hover over the employee and make sure he's doing the work he's supposed to be doing, I'd hire my son.

> That's going to be a problem when he seeks a salaried job -- few employers want an unmotivated, undisciplined employee. If I wanted to hover over the employee and make sure he's doing the work he's supposed to be doing, I'd hire my son.

I can clarify that.When I'm at the workplace this is different. I am motivated and disciplined. I'm at the place where it is expected to work, and that's what I do. Also there's a clear border, when I'm home my workday is over and I don't have to worry about it.Working from home is a lot harder, to me at least, and I heard other people mention it. When I'm home I am usually relaxing a bit, so the place has a complete different association with me. Also there's no clear border, I can work for 7 hours straigt and still feel the rest of the day that I should be doing stuff. Or take a day off, like any normal person, and feel that way the whole day. That gets tired very soon.So I figured out I need a real work environment, and I can't work from home.

There are collectives such as the renocollective.com that offers very affordable workspace to freelancers and start-ups. This way you can be self-employed, not working from your home and meet other creative people during the day. You can pay by the day if you plan to work few days a week. I think this can be the next best thing for you if you cannot land a job. Look around your area. Best luck to you.

In addition to collectives, there are other public places that you might do well in. I sometimes work at the public library. It's generally quiet, and it's not home. There's a cafe' I often work at (I make a point to spend money there, so I don't feel bad using one of the several open tables).

But if you need a routine, then an office might be the place for you.

I might look for government employment. City/County. Very large organizations tend to be better equipped to handle and understand unusual worker needs.

That's your best option...from the sounds of you problems, short hours only, special needs, I'm sorry to say, but in the private sector, you're kinda fucked.

I think that's almost entirely true - but there will be some exceptions. If you do good work, there will be small consulting companies who will hire you for what you are - a good worker with some special needs. There are some very large companies that are so large they know how to handle unusual employees. And some of those are government contractors, so they're required to do so.

As I said in a post down below, the key may be starting a business with someone you already like working with. Then you can keep each other motivated. Plus find a location (others in this thread have linked it) besides home to call your "office".

And note: Starting businesses is the advice I give to -everyone- asking a question about employment right now. The current IT job market is simply broken in a number of ways.

Just make sure it is the right person all around. A business venture is a good way to take a person you like and who likes you, and turn them into someone you hate with every fiber of your being. For instance, some people work really well with their spouses, some divorce over it and still others divorce but still work together on the business.

In short, if you are creative and smart, but perhaps a little on the less structured side about things, you need someone who can give you the needed structure, but a

And that is all absolutely true. Mind you I give the advice to start your own business knowing full well how difficult it is, as I've made my living for nearly 10 years being self employed (Well basically, I co-founded a LLC, we both mostly do our own thing within it, but we also keep an eye out for one another and step in and help wherever we can).

It's highly important to find someone who you feel you can safely have fairly intense arguments with.

Agreed, he's going to have to make it worth it for someone to put in more hours than he does. Some people could do it. If I could get a 50%-50% cut with Warren Buffett where he only worked 25 hours and I had to work 60, it would still probably be worth it because I know he knows how to get people stinking rich and I don't. I'd probably let him own 50% if he just called me every morning with some specific directions or tips for the day.

I had similar issues (working from home focus issues), and I found that I was able to work from home iff I set aside a work area (an office) that I only used for work (no-multitasking allowed). This gave me enough of a psychological barrier that I changed from work to play mode just by entering the space. I no longer work at home, but maintain the space as my project room, and it still serves it's purpose. Give it a try.

Good idea, but some folks can't work from home no matter what they do. It's not good or bad, it just is. At our office we are required to take a "evaluation" (for lack of a better word) to gauge our suitability before working from home. I don't know if anyone's been denied, but it does give a good idea on how much you rely on the social aspect of working. Unfotunately, I believe your ultimate success is determined by your boss. Fortunately, more and more of them are being trained or becoming familiar with m

So I figured out I need a real work environment, and I can't work from home.

FWIW, I have a friend who started working from home, and expressed the same concerns as you. To compensate, he did a few things. First he has a general daily schedule that he follows as strictly as he can. This schedule includes two hours in the middle of his work morning, part of which he uses to cook breakfast for his family before they leave for the day. He logs off email, and lets work calls go to voice mail outside these times. He also has a home office. He only uses the office when he is working. Personal time spent using the computer is done outside of his office. Finally, he hangs his company ID around his neck, just like when he is in a company office. It is a visual indicator to let his family know when he is is working. The point of all of this was to create mental and visual barriers between home and work.

I completely agree with you and you clarified it better than I could have.

I too, also like that distinct boundary. My g/f runs her own business, an association management company, and a tattoo studio. The tattoo studio isn't that bad, as there is the clear boundary between - but the other, it bleeds into every other aspect of our life. Even when on vacation, I don't feel we are really on vacation - there are always phone calls, email, operational issues, and continual emergencies that require her attention.

Perhaps if you set aside a room or a corner that is strictly for work. When it's time to 'go to work', go there and stay. When it's time to 'go home', move to another room. That helps some people, but not everyone.

When I'm at the workplace this is different. I am motivated and disciplined. I'm at the place where it is expected to work, and that's what I do. Also there's a clear border, when I'm home my workday is over and I don't have to worry about it.

Really? You suffer from motivation problems? You don't want to work when you don't have to?

Listen, I'm not against accommodations. But what you describe is the EXACT SAME THING everyone else deals with on a day-to-day basis. If you get special accommodations because you find it hard to work, I want them too. Why is your situation different from mine? Because of an internal mental state that can't be directly observed? So I'm denied support because I'm trying harder to keep my sh*t together?

Undoubtedly. So, what are we as a society going to do with our schizophrenics in particular, and the problem of mental illness in general?

Let's begin with the understanding that schizophrenia, like autism and Down's Syndrome, is an organic problem, where something physically went wrong with the body. It isn't the result of harsh circumstances like PTSD (also a very real and crippling problem) or a "learned behavior" like certain phobias. This means we can put schizophrenics right next to victims of childhoo

There's enough wiggle room in that statement to make the actual policy anything from soup kitchens to mass institutionalization. So yeah, he needs help, but the devil's in the details.

I work part time at my state's main mental hospital.The campus is lovely in design, but maintenance often leaves something to desire. In the era of mass institutionalization, the campus was self-supporting for food, and patients served as groundskeepers and light maintenance personnel. That's a big part of how they were abl

Anyway, here's where you, I and Bertrand Russell's ghost undoubtedly agree. I think it would be great if the Church would disengage from politics, rediscover humility, and go back to providing food, clothing, shelter and medicine to those in need. Yeah, I know it's not all you'd wish for, "last king and the entrails of the last priest" and all that, but surely we can agree that it's a start?

Unfortunately autism is not a legally protected disability in the United States

You need to do more research... or you're playing word games with "what is the meaning of the word is" or trolling for sympathy

so "coming out" to my coworkers, boss, HR, et al is much too big of a risk.

As a sysadmin you have to realize that a law is not like having a root password. Unless you have enough money to enforce the law, volunteer lawyer or friend lawyer or whatever, the law may as well not exist.

No doubt my coworkers must think I'm one of the strangest people they've ever met.

I've met some pretty strange people on the job, so I find this extremely unlikely. Or you're got really boring coworkers, this does happen. I've experienced that as a class th

This one is very important, look at page two "Examples Illustrating Definition of Disability" one of the examples used to define a disability was specifically to list autism, by name. Its kind of hard to wiggle out of "autism isn't a disability" when its specifically listed by name in regulation as an example of a legally protected disability.http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/upload/adaaa-summary.pdf [eeoc.gov]

I mean when the EEOC uses your diagnosis as an example of what the law covers, its kind of hard to claim that example doesn't fit under the definition. Now my ingrown toenail was not listed by name, so I would have a fight in court to prove its a disability by definition, unlike your diagnosis.

Obviously your best bet is as per your own comment:

Accordingly, at the advice of my attorney

Yeah that'll probably work a hell of a lot better than the advice of some idiot on/. who none the less knows some people with autism and also knows how to use google really well. However if you haven't talked to your lawyer since 2008 when they passed the law, or 2011 when the EEOC released their new regulations specifically naming autism, maybe its time to talk again, or at least think about it?

Oh yeah, because it pays sooo well. Sorry you hate your life. Maybe you should
chop off a few fingers and jump on that sweet sweet gravy train.

Granted, OP was probably being a fascist dick in making the comment, considering the assholish phrasing, but whether they meant to or not, they actually made an excellent point - too much income from a job will substantially decrease the amount of disability assistance this individual receives, likely to the detriment of their livelihood.

This is true, and until it is corrected, you're almost ensuring that poor, but otherwise non-stupid people remain on welfare/disability/unemployment. If you make more or even the same amount on one of those than on a job, you're better off without the job. No bosses to please, no co workers to deal with. No commutes to make.

The sad thing is, as much as there are people out there who seem like they want to help other people with welfare or disability, these little discrepancies keep appearing that make me

What's the limit? Say, you have an allergy to anything more than 1 hour of work per week. Or a neurochemical disorder that means that without a constant pedicure and massage chair, you can't do any work? Or what about a permanent vegetative state? At what point can a company reasonably say, "sorry, but we just don't have a position for you?"

If the costs of the accommodations affect the bottom line in any significant way, it's irresponsible to hire someone who needs those accommodations, versus someone w

I'm not sure if I follow. If I were to be judged by some supernatural master of the universe, I'd hope that they'd understand the free market, and the idea that making unreasonable accommodations simply destroys wealth and well being.

In fact, I'd bet that any supernatural master of the universe already understands that, otherwise they'd have used their omnipotence to simply make everyone equal in outcome already.

Frankly, any omnipotent being who presides over a universe like our own, what with the pain and

So eliminating gender discrimination is equivalent to forcing companies to employ people in permanent vegetative states, or to otherwise employ people that force them to fire a dozen other employees due to cost?